New Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Confirmed

Last week the Senate voted 55-43 to confirm Alex Azar as the new Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Azar replaces the previous HHS Secretary Tom Price, who resigned last fall.

Secretary Azar stated during his Senate testimony that he would focus on four issues: lowering prescription drugs costs, making health insurance more affordable, basing Medicare payments on quality, and the opioid epidemic.

Secretary Azar previously served as senior counsel and later deputy secretary of HHS under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2007. After serving in the Bush Administration, Secretary Azar served a decade at Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications, and later as president of the company.